Shishinori Japanese Eatery

2328 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC

Late in the winter, W and I met up with a friend to catch up and chat for a bit. After seeing lots of colourful and pretty pictures of their meals, I suggested heading to Shishinori to try out their rice bowls.

The eatery was actually a small shop with a limited number of tables and an "order-at-the-counter" type of self-service. Definitely a place for a quick and healthy bite.

Wild Salmon Paradise Bowl ($12)

We perused the menu for a bit as we found their options to be quite attractive! Our indecisiveness acted up again! W finally decided on the Wild Salmon Paradise Bowl. Beautifully plated with plenty of different colours, the bowl (well, more like a plate) had a bed of brown rice topped with thinly sliced wild salmon sashimi, a side of spring mix veggies, and half of a hard-boiled egg. It was also drizzled with a sweet soy vinaigrette. W opted for a combo which came with a cup of loose leaf tea and a bowl of miso soup (or dessert if you choose not to have the soup).

I found the portions to be just right for me but for W, a meat and potatoes kind of guy, it was a little lacking. But hey, it's supposed to be a healthy meal so no oversized portions here!

 Hawaii Ahi Poke Bowl ($12) - choice of spicy, shoyu, or wasabi

Still reminiscing over my Hawaiian holiday, I immediately went for the Ahi Poke Bowl. I loved loved LOVED this rice bowl! The sweet shoyu sauce with the Ahi tuna cubes and chewy brown rice was a delicious combination! The fresh green veggies and raspberries added a vibrant element to the bowl.

Wild Salmon Cheese Bake Rice ($11)

Our friend chose one of the hot meals which was the Wild Salmon Cheese Bake. Brown rice was topped with salmon and a slice of melted processed cheese on top. It came in a tiny, cute, rustic casserole dish, flanked by a bowl of miso soup and spring mix salad with hard boiled egg on each side.

Even though they used processed cheese instead of real cheese for the baked rice, I thought it was acceptable because the creaminess of the processed cheese helped moisten the salmon and rice underneath while the saltiness seasoned the ingredients underneath.

 Matcha Parfait ($6.70)

After such healthy and lean dishes, we needed some dessert to balance out the meal! I was enticed by the Matcha Parfait because I love anything matcha. Starting from the bottom, the tall cup had layers of coffee jelly, corn flakes, chocolate soft serve ice cream, whipped cream, berries, green tea soft serve ice cream. a sour key soother candy, mini marshmallows, a green tea cookie, a cookie straw and dollop of whipped cream on top for good measure! Whew! This sure satisfied my sweet tooth but I was disappointed with the amount of matcha-ness in the parfait. I was hoping for more matcha goodness.

Matcha Ice Cream Float ($4.30)

On the other hand, my friend's matcha ice cream float had more matcha flavours than my parfait! With green tea soft serve ice cream immersed in strong matcha tea and topped with a green tea cookie, her cup was significantly amped up with matcha flavours. I liked this one more because when mixed together, the float was not too sweet. It was a nice balance between the sweet (the ice cream) and the healthy (the unsweetened matcha tea). Full of antioxidants that's for sure!

With such pretty plate presentations, healthy and balanced options, and my favourite matcha desserts on the menu, Shishinori would be a good place for quick, casual Japanese eats any time of the day!

Alaskan Cruise - Day 7: At Sea ~ Photo-log

Our last full day on the ship was spent at sea. The voyage during the previous night was so choppy that all of us didn't have a good night's sleep...

After doing some last minute souvenir shopping, napping, and playing board games, I dragged W to go have afternoon tea at Cova Cafe. Along with Murano and AquaSpa Cafe, Cova is another place that patrons have to pay for their orders. However, your choice of cake or cookie is served with your (paid) beverage.

Latte and Carrot Cake

I chose the carrot cake to go with my latte. There was also a small biscotti on the side of my drink. They weren't amazing but it was relaxing to sit back and enjoy an afternoon snack while people watching on the ship.

Heading to our last meal at The Grand on Century was sort of bittersweet. It would be the last time being served by the professional and funny duo of Roy and Francis and it would be our last time ever cruising on Century. We learned that after her last voyage in April 2015, Celebrity would retire the Century line and she would no longer make trips around the world! :(

Crispy Frog Legs - with green pea puree and garlic-parsley sauce

Back to the food, my first appetizer was a pair of frog legs, fried until crisp, and placed on top a creamy pea and garlic sauce. The garlic overpowered the peas in the sauce but I think that actually worked better with the frog legs. And yes, frog legs DO taste like chicken!

Salmon Tartare - with celery root puree, trout roe caviar, dill, apple and pumpernickel

W was not a fan of frogs legs so he had the salmon tartare instead. The mix of chopped raw salmon was colourful and nicely presented! 

Yellow Corn Soup - with chopped chives

Although my second appy was plain looking, the soup was comforting with its sweet, corn flavour. 

Seared Duck - with “fried” wild rice, swiss chard, parsnip and orange duck jus

Time for the main course! I went with the seared duck and it did not disappoint! Tender, juicy, and cooked to the right pinkness in the middle, the duck breast was delicious! Just like how apples are paired with pork, oranges go hand in hand with duck. Somehow, this sweet citrus fruit just makes the duck taste better!

Celebrity’s Signature “Beef Tournedo” - medallion of beef tenderloin, ragout of morel mushrooms and pearl onions and roasted potatoes, served with haricot verts and black truffle sauce

Can't escape the meat and potatoes can we?! W had the beef medallion topped with morel mushrooms, a side of roasted potatoes and the black truffle sauce. It certainly looked good and it tasted just the same as well! Yum!

Roasted Colorado Rack of Lamb - served with mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli florets, glazed baby carrots and rosemary lamb jus

The roasted rack of lamb was my sister's choice. Smeared with a garlic and rosemary crust and rested on the lamb jus, the meat was juicy and flavourful. However, she had to send it back to the kitchen because it was done too rare for her liking. Otherwise, it didn't seem like anything else was amiss with the plate.

Warm apple crumble a la mode

It was time for our final course and W chose the apple crumble topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. He asked if I wanted to try some of his dessert but I had my own to focus on!

Vanilla Bean Semifreddo - with strawberry coulis and graham cracker cookie pieces

As it was our last dessert on the cruise, I had to go big or go home! I ordered both the semifreddo AND the creme brulee to round out my meal. Speckled with real vanilla beans, the smooth and creamy semifreddo was a delight. The fruity and tart coulis balanced out the sweetness too. The graham cracker pieces were a little odd but I think it was supposed to mimic a deconstructed cheesecake.

Crème Brulee 

With a crunchy torched sugar crust, the creme brulee was just the way it's supposed to be. It was sooo sooo good! I finished it to the last spoonful even though I was stuffed to the max!

I have to say, our first cruise vacation was a blast despite its ups and downs. The staterooms were good, the atmosphere was relaxing, there were slow boring times but also fun and awe-inspiring times. Of course, the food was excellent and indulgent too! After this trip, W and I are looking forward to our next cruise! I wonder where we will sail off next?